BRINGING FRIENDS TO THE THRONE OF GRACE

What do you do when illness or tragedy or troubles or anxiety or difficulties strike someone you know?   It could be a friend, or family member, or even a person you hear about!   Let me tell you a story about a man with a debilitating illness and how his friends helped him in a time of his great need…

This story struck me deep in my heart when I first read about it years ago and to this day it is still on my mind…   Our story takes place in Capernaum, a town on the seashore of the Sea of Galilee. A town that was the home base of Jesus during his three-year ministry.  

Jesus, by the time of this story, had reached rock star status in all of Israel and surrounding areas for his healing and teaching.  

On one particular day, he was at the home of Peter and a great, huge crowd had gathered. Jesus was inside “speaking the word”.   

While Jesus was preaching four men came to the house bringing their paralyzed friend on a pallet.  

Upon arriving at the house they couldn’t get close to the door, because of the great crowds that came to hear Jesus. What happened next was astonishing!

Those four men were not deterred by the crowds.    

Listen to what they did…  

“And being unable to get to Him (Jesus) because of the crowd, they removed the roof above Him; and when they had dug an opening, they let down the pallet on which the paralytic was lying”. Mark 2:4  

Can you just see it?  Can you see these men scrambling up onto the roof of this ancient, seaside home?   The roof was probably made of a cross section of rough timber beams covered with a thick coating of mud plaster. Grass would actually grow on the top of the roof. The rooves were sturdy enough that people would sleep on then and also worship there.

I wonder if Jesus and the multitudes inside could hear all the commotion above as the men dissembled the roof? As the men dug the dried mud with their hands to make an opening large enough for a man and his pallet to be lowered through did much of the debris fall on Jesus and the people inside?  What was the reaction of all the people?   I love to think of Bible stories and their real-life details!

Because of the tenacious action of the four men the paralytic had his audience with Jesus and was healed! And because of the healing, the once paralyzed man walked away praising God!   What an amazing story!

But here is what touches me so deeply… these men carried their friend in need to the only One who could do something about his condition. They brought their paralyzed friend to Jesus.  

Every time I pray for someone- a friend, a precious family member or just someone in need I hear about I imagine carrying them to Jesus also! I can so relate to the men who dug through that mud roof to get to Jesus.   It is a privilege to carry someone, by intercessory prayer, to the Throne of Grace!

 

Hebrews 4: 14-16 says…  

Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son Of God, let us hold fast to our confession.  

For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.  

LET US THEREFORE, COME BOLDLY TO THE THRONE OF OUR GRACIOUS GOD THAT WE MAY FIND MERCY AND GRACE IN OUR TIME OF NEED.

I think the friends in this Bible story were very bold!

And James 5:16 says…   Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayers of a righteous man can accomplish much.  

Talking to God about others in need is the best and most effective thing we can do for them! Pray and continue to pray.

Visually see yourself on top of that roof, digging away the mud so you can lower your friend, or precious family member or someone in need carefully down to lovingly place them at the nail-pierced feet of Jesus! And keep doing it!

Don’t give up!!! What if the friends of the paralyzed man gave up because they could not get near the door? The man would have never been healed! They would let nothing stop them… not the crowds, not the roof, nothing!

Don’t underestimate the power of prayer… your prayer and the faith you have in the ONE you are praying to can literally move mountains! Believe in Jesus, the Healer, the Son of God and His miracle ability!

Look for His hand in the situation you are praying about. Expect miracles!!! It may not be the miracle you want, but He is faithful to answer prayer in His perfect way!

Trust in that! Trust in Him!  

This week’s memorization verse..

LET US THEREFORE, COME BOLDLY TO THE THRONE OF OUR GRACIOUS GOD THAT WE MAY FIND MERCY AND GRACE IN OUR TIME OF NEED.